Decomposing beached whale likely to remain on San Jose Island
An expert says there is no easy way to remove a dead beached whale from the surf at San Jose Island.
The young female sperm whale that washed up on the shore late Nov. 20 or early Nov. 21 is 28-feet-long and weighs several tons, said Tony Amos, oceanographer and founder of the Animal Rehabilitation Keep on the campus of the University of Texas Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas.
"It's not something you can hook up to a pickup truck and haul it off," Amos said. "It's on San Jose Island, which is privately owned and there's no access except by boat. That's the dilemma right there."
The day after it was found, Amos and a representative from the Texas Mammal Stranding Network examined the animal and measured it. Amos said it was already decomposing before it washed ashore.
Until a different solution can be found, the experts said the whale will naturally decompose on the shore. He recommends no one go near it or touch it at all. It is located near the north jetty on San Jose Island.
The last time he saw a washed up whale of this size was in June 2008 on Mustang Island, he said.
Sperm whales are classified as great whales, and are the largest whale to have actual teeth. The females are much smaller than the males.